WASHINGTON, December 21, 2021 (AFP) – The US Justice Department said on Monday that it has taken steps to recover more than $154 million allegedly stolen from a Sony subsidiary by a Japanese official who converted the amount into bitcoin. was converted into.
“We intend to return the stolen money to the victim of this reckless robbery,” Acting Federal Attorney Randy Grossman said in a statement.
According to a lawsuit filed in San Diego, Rei Ishii, an employee of Sony Life Insurance Co Ltd in Tokyo, allegedly embezzled $154 million in May when the company attempted to transfer money from one account to another.
According to the Southern District of California Attorney, the money was diverted to a controlled Ishi account at a bank in La Jolla, Calif., and later converted into 3,879 bitcoins, which are currently valued at more than $180 million.
The money was confiscated on December 1 after an FBI investigation.
“All bitcoins related to the theft have been recovered and fully protected. Ishii has been charged in Japan,” the US Department of Justice announced.
As Grossman pointed out, “this case is an example of the extraordinary work of FBI agents and Japanese law enforcement officers, who worked together to seek out this virtual money.”
“Criminals should take note: they cannot rely on cryptocurrencies to hide their wrongdoing against law enforcement,” he said.
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